Become a Partner School

How it Works:

A deep and growing base of research demonstrates that mindfulness is an effective tool for addressing mental health challenges, coping with anxiety and stress, building focus, and cultivating a felt sense of interconnectedness and solidarity.

WholeSchool works to establish and support the position of a Mindfulness Director in schools. A Mindfulness Director is a school or district employee whose role is to integrate culturally-responsive, healing-centered mindfulness practices within their community. With ongoing support provided by WholeSchool, the Mindfulness Director guides formal and informal mindfulness practices to students, staff, faculty, and families, and thoughtfully weaves mindfulness into the community fabric and daily life of the school.

I’ve seen such a positive impact on the social & emotional growth of our students.
– Darwin Eubanks, Partner School Leader

What We Look For:

WholeSchool looks for experienced Mindfulness Directors who are rooted in their school communities and Partner Schools that are committed to growing and deepening their mindfulness programming.

We partner with schools of all demographics—public and private, urban and rural, financially strong and under-resourced. However, we are particularly committed to partnering with district public schools that serve communities of color and low-income populations. Additionally, we work to ensure that the demographics of our Mindfulness Directors match the demographics of our Partner Schools.

What you Can Expect from Partnering with us:

Through a two-year formal partnership, WholeSchool partners with Mindfulness Directors and School Leaders to integrate and accelerate mindfulness programming in their communities.

Year One:

• Partner Schools:
  • Allocate at least 25% of a full-time staff member’s schedule to the dedicated work of a Mindfulness Director.
• WholeSchool Provides:
  • Needs-based funding to support the Mindfulness Directors salary and benefits up to $25,000
  • Professional Development for Mindfulness Directors valued at $15,000
  • Flexible professional development funds for Mindfulness Directors up to $1,500
  • Strategic advising and sustainability planning for Partner School leaders

Year Two:

• Partner Schools
  • Allocate the equivalent of at least 50% of a full-time staff member’s schedule to the dedicated work of their Mindfulness Director.
• WholeSchool Provides:
  • Needs-based funding to support the Mindfulness Directors salary and benefits up to $25,000
  • Professional Development for Mindfulness Directors valued at $15,000
  • Flexible professional development funds for Mindfulness Directors up to $1,500
  • Strategic advising and sustainability planning for Partner School leaders

After year two,  Partner Schools may have the option to support the ongoing engagement of their Mindfulness Director with the WholeSchool community, including access to ongoing professional development opportunities.

WholeSchool’s partnership is catalytic in nature. With few exceptions, our financial support is intended to support Mindfulness Director salary and benefits in an effort to cultivate the transition towards a permanent, sustainable Mindfulness Director position within their school/district. While we seek to engage in a formal two-year partnership period, we are looking for schools that possess a desire and intention to sustain the Mindfulness Director position for years to come.

“WholeSchool is a catalyst. Because of our partnership with WholeSchool, we’ve been able to speed up the rate at which we integrate mindfulness across the division. It has allowed us to have a designated person within the school, who can drill deep down into a particular school community. And at the same time, her impact has a ripple effect that resonates throughout the entire division.”

Dr. Ram Bhagat is the Manager for School Culture and Climate Strategy at Richmond Public Schools